Human
by Haasak
Summary: X-Men: The Movie with a twist - Scott Summers is deaf.
1. Preface

Preface

When Christopher and Katherine Summers learned that their first born son was deaf, they wasted no time. They saw the best doctors, fitted their son's tiny ears with hearing aids, and spent their nights and weekends learning sign language. Soon, little Scott Summers learned to sign, too. When Scott was a toddler, he began speech therapy and by the time he was a young boy, he could both speak and read lips skillfully. He had a happy childhood full of hugs, laughter, and "I love you"s.

After his parents' death, Scott stopped signing. He stopped trying to speak and he stopped reading lips. He looked away when the orphanage staff spoke to him. When the other children bothered him, he pretended not to understand; eventually they learned to leave him alone. Some of the other children were eventually adopted, but not Scott – no one wanted a surly ten-year-old with special needs. No one hugged him, or laughed with him, or told him that they loved him.

When his powers manifested and he was forced to cover his eyes with a tightly wrapped bandage, fourteen-year-old Scott Summers threw up his hands and gave up on the world. After all, the world had given up on him first. It had taken everything from him – his hearing, his family, and now his sight. Depressed and despondent, he no longer cared about hugs, or laughter, or love.

When Professor Charles Xavier found Scott hopeless and alone, he sent four simple words telepathically: "Everything will be okay." And Scott heard those four words more clearly than he'd heard anything in his life.

And a week later, when Scott awoke terrified from a nightmare, sobbing and dripping in sweat, the Professor pulled him into a hug and sent, "Everything will be okay."

And when Scott put on the ruby-quartz glasses for the first time and opened his eyes, he and the Professor laughed out loud. Tears of joy ran down Scott's face as he saw the Professor say, "Everything will be okay."

And two years later, as Scott walked hand in hand with Jean through the grounds, he saw her sign, "I love you." And he thought to himself, "Everything will be okay."


	2. Chapter I

"I'm Charles Xavier. Would you like some breakfast?"

Logan just stared, baffled at the man sitting behind the desk in front of him. The last twenty-four hours had been a blur. He remembered the sound of breaking glass and the smell of smoke. He'd been in a car accident, hadn't he? Or had someone attacked him?

He'd awoken in a hospital. His mutant ability allowed him to heal almost instantaneously; he didn't need doctors poking at and prodding him. He'd fled as soon as he'd awoken. He didn't remember much from the last two decades of his life, but he knew one thing: waking up on a medical table in a strange place meant nothing good. He'd sprinted from the hospital, following an invisible voice which led him to the small office where he now stood. He'd been surprised to find the wheelchair bound Professor inside teaching physics to a group of teenagers.

As he stood there now, the previous day started to come back to him. He had been with a young girl with long brown hair and a southern accent. What was her name? "Where's the girl?" he asked.

"Rogue? She's here. She's fine."

"Really," he said, the word full of suspicion.

Just then, the door creaked open behind him. Logan was so on edge that he nearly jumped. A man and woman entered the office, both looking at him curiously. The woman was petite, with long, bright white hair. Behind her, the man looked barely twenty-five years old, but was dressed like a man three times his age. He wore pleated gray trousers, a tucked-in black turtleneck, and a stiff wool cardigan. But more irritating to Logan than the man's stale sense of style, was his eyes. They were completely covered by opaque red sunglasses making it nearly impossible for Logan to read his expression or to tell where he was looking.

"Logan, I'd like you to meet Ororo Munroe, also called Storm," said the Professor. He continued, pointing to the man in the sunglasses, "This is Scott Summers, also called Cyclops." Logan noticed that, as he spoke, the Professor moved his hands, gesturing along with each word. Before Logan could question the Professor's sudden and strange behavior, the man with sunglasses (Scott was it?) was reaching out his hand to shake Logan's. Logan, however, had no interest in making friends. He simply stared.

Perhaps in response to Logan's coldness, the Professor added, "They saved your life."

Before Logan could respond, a second woman entered the room. She was tall and beautiful with brilliant red hair. Doctor Jean Grey, the Professor said.

"You are in my school for mutants," explained the Professor. Again, he moved his hands with each word. As Logan watched, he noted that the hand gestures seemed to be for Scott's benefit. He turned towards him, scrutinizing him more closely. Only then did he notice the small hearing aids Scott wore behind his ears. It suddenly clicked. Scott must be deaf. The Professor's hand gestures weren't random; he was using sign language.

The Professor finished speaking just as Logan's patience ran out. Magneto? Sabretooth? Wars between mutants and humankind? Was this some kind of joke? He suddenly felt like a trapped animal; he needed air. Logan made for the door, but Scott blocked his way. Completely out of patience, Logan grabbed Scott by the collar, yanking him towards him.

"You want to get out of my way?" Logan snarled. But Scott made no move to cooperate. In fact, he seemed completely indifferent to being manhandled, which only made Logan angrier. Scott glanced over Logan's shoulder, looking expectantly at the Professor.

Not more than a second before Logan's fist would have made contact with Scott's jaw, the Professor spoke: "Logan, it's been almost fifteen years, hasn't it? Living from day to day. Moving from place to place. With no memory of who or what you are?" Logan froze. How did he know?

The Professor spoke again, but this time the voice came from inside Logan's mind:

"You're not the only one with gifts." Logan was so alarmed by the mental intrusion that he dropped Scott, turning on the Professor instead. Anger bubbled within him, but curiosity won out.

"What is this place?"

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Later that night, Jean showed Logan to one of the mansion's many guest rooms. Logan had promised the Professor he would stay for at least a few days. The older man claimed he could help Logan piece together his past. Logan figured he'd give the guy a chance. After all, he had nothing to lose.

He followed Jean down the dimly lit hallway. When they reached the last room on the left, she stepped inside and switched on the light. "I think you'll be comfortable here," she said.

Logan glanced around the room. It had been some time since he had stayed in a place this nice. He wondered if he ever had.

"Where's your room?" he asked.

"Down the hall with Scott," she said. So the two were a couple. He'd suspected as much, but wondered, a little bitterly, how an uptight kid like that had managed to snag a beautiful woman like Jean.

"So what, is he deaf or something?" If Jean was surprised by the question, she didn't show it.

"Yes," she replied. "Scott was born profoundly deaf."

"So he can't hear anything?"

"With his hearing aids on, he can hear some sounds," she explained. "He can hear my voice, for example, but individual words are too muffled for him to understand. So we use sign language. He also reads lips."

"Does he talk?"

"Not very often," she said. Logan turned away, opening the closet door behind him and glancing inside.

"So how long have you been together?" Jean smiled at the question.

"Since we were kids. Scott was Charles' first student. I arrived shortly after." Logan turned around to face Jean again.

"He seems a little restrained for a woman like you," he said with a smirk.

"Really?" Jean returned the smirk. "If Scott opened his eyes without his glasses, he could punch a hole through a mountain. I think it's good for all of us if he has a sense of control. Don't you?"

Logan just shrugged, then asked, "What's your gift?"

"I'm telekinetic." She paused. "I also have some telepathic ability."

"So read my mind," Logan challenged.

"I'd rather not."

"Afraid you might like it?" Jean laughed out loud.

"I doubt it," she said.

As Logan turned away, Jean reconsidered.

"Wait." She moved slowly towards him. When he didn't move away, she brought her hands to his temples. He looked at her expectantly. Jean closed her eyes. Within seconds she was bombarded with a fuzzy image that was difficult to decipher. Then out of nowhere, she felt a sudden and intense pain. She pulled her hands away instinctively, as if from a hot stovetop. Logan grabbed her hands.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"Scott," she said, surprised. Logan turned, following her eyes. Scott was standing at the doorway watching. His face was blank, and without seeing his eyes, it was difficult to read his expression. With a quiet "goodnight Logan" and a few quick signs to Scott, Jean left the room, turning right down the hallway. Logan expected Scott to follow her, but instead he lingered at the doorway.

"You going to tell me to stay away from your girl?" Logan asked with grin.

Scott said nothing. He simply stared at Logan with that same unreadable expression. After a few moments, he turned, shutting the door behind him and following Jean to bed.


	3. Chapter II

Logan awoke early the next morning. He hadn't slept well. As he made his way downstairs, he wondered if it was possible for a bed to be too comfortable. As most of the students were still asleep, the house was quiet. After opening a few doors without success, Logan finally found the kitchen. He hadn't eaten much over the last two days and he was starving.

The kitchen was bright and sunny, forcing him to squint. Between the sun and his groggy state, it took him a few moments to realize that he wasn't alone. Charles and Scott were seated at a small table in the corner, eating breakfast and apparently chatting away in sign language. Logan paused. He considered turning back the way he came until his stomach growled loudly in protest. Before he could move, the Professor noticed him standing in the doorway.

"Good morning, Logan." At the Professor's words, Scott turned to look at Logan briefly, and then returned to his cereal.

"Please, sit," said the Professor, pointing to the empty seat beside him. Logan sat down, grunting his thanks. "Help yourself to whatever you'd like," said the Professor. "We have a wide array of breakfast cereals." He signed as he spoke, just as he'd done the day before. "I thought I might give you a tour of the grounds today," he continued. Logan nodded as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. The Professor launched into a history of the house and grounds, which apparently had been in his family for generations.

After a few minutes, Scott stood, signed something to the Professor, and left, leaving his bowl in the sink.

"Scott has an early morning class to teach," the Professor explained in response to Logan's curious look.

After breakfast, the Professor led Logan on a tour of the mansion. They saw every inch of the property. As they walked, they passed several classes in session. At one point, he saw Rogue through a window, dutifully taking notes in the back row of a large classroom. When she saw him at the window, she smiled shyly. He managed a small smile in return. He was glad to see her apparently happy and healthy.

Further down the hallway, they passed a second classroom, smaller than the first. Scott sat on a desk at the front of the room, a blackboard covered with mathematical equations behind him. A few teenagers sat in front of him. One of the students – a boy about seventeen or so – raised his hand. When Scott pointed to him, he signed what seemed to be a question. Scott answered as the other students looked on.

"Do all the students learn to sign?" Logan asked.

"It is not required, but many of them choose to," said the Professor. "Of course, they must if they wish to take one of Scott's courses. And most students do. He is quite popular with the students." Logan lifted his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"Shall we move on?"

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After his morning class, Scott headed back to his office. He sat down at his desk with a stack of ungraded exams in front of him. Busy with the tests, he didn't notice Jean enter his office until she was right beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"How was your class?" she signed.

"Good. Do you want to grab some lunch in a bit?"

"I'd love to, but I have to get down to the lab. I want to run a few more tests on Logan."

Scott and Jean had been a couple for nearly ten years. Before that, they were best friends. Jean had no trouble reading his expression, despite the glasses. She could tell right away that something was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" she asked. He put down his pen.

"He flirts with you," he said simply.

"Logan? That's ridiculous."

"Is it?"

"Okay, yes, he flirts with me. But it means nothing," said Jean. "I love you. I always have and I always will. Nothing Logan does can change that." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Scott smiled, but he didn't seem entirely convinced.

"I'll let you know when I'm done," she said as she headed to the door. "Maybe we can grab lunch then."

"Stick an extra needle in him for me," Scott signed with a smile.


	4. Chapter III

It was nearing midnight, but Logan was wide awake. After two days in the mansion, he could really use a drink. He headed to the kitchen, expecting it to be deserted. Instead he found Scott sitting at the counter at the center of the room nursing a cup of coffee. Scott looked up, tensing slightly as Logan entered.

"You know, if you're having trouble sleeping, coffee probably isn't the best thing," Logan said gruffly.

Scott reached for the coffee canister beside him, turning it in Logan's direction so that he could read the label: Decaf Coffee.

"Ah." Logan glanced around the kitchen. "You got any beer in this place?" Scott raised his eyebrows in response.

"I'll take that as a no. Got some soda at least?" Scott pointed to the fridge behind him. Logan went to the fridge, grabbed a cold bottle of root beer, and popped off the cap. He sat across from Scott and took a long swig of his drink.

The two sat in silence for several minutes. It might have been awkward, but Logan wasn't prone to self-consciousness and Scott was comfortable enough with silence. When he was finished with his drink, Logan stood. He dropped his bottle by the side of the sink. "Good talk," he mumbled as he left the room.

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A few hours later, Scott and Jean were sound asleep in their bed. Jean woke first sensing that something was wrong. A moment later she heard a yell from down the hallway.

"Scott, Scott . . . wake up!" she yelled. She shook him until he grudgingly turned to look at her. "Something's wrong. Get up!" Scott sat up quickly, switching his night time goggles for his glasses. Together, they rushed down the hallway, nearly colliding with Ororo as they went.

The children were starting to wake too and had gathered outside Logan's room. Pushing through them, the three adults paused at Logan's door, shocked by what they saw. Inside, Rogue was standing at Logan's bedside, blood dripping down her back. She held her hand to Logan's face which was pale and drawn. Jean, Scott, and Ororo stood glued to the floor as the three bloody gashes clearly visible on Rogue's back just a moment ago faded away to nothingness.

When the wound was completely healed, Rogue pulled her hand from Logan's face. At the same moment, Logan slipped, limp and unconscious to the floor. For the first time, Rogue seemed to notice her teachers' presence. Looking ashamed and distressed, she said, "It was an accident," before slipping as quickly as possible through the bedroom door. The students, now seemingly terrified of her, parted to let her pass through the growing crowd.

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By the next morning, things had calmed down at the mansion. Logan had made a full recovery. Rogue, though still shaken, had recovered, too. She tried to ignore the whispers and wary glances that followed her to class.

Charles and Scott were in the lower levels, in one of the smaller labs. Charles was carefully reviewing the data Jean had left him on Logan's mutation and ogling the x-rays which showed Logan's adamantium-coated bones.

"What are you looking for Erik," he mumbled to himself. When he glanced up from the file in front of him, Scott was looking at him expectantly.

"It's strange," Charles signed. "There are more powerful mutants out there. Why should this one be so important to him?"

"Maybe it's his way with people," Scott returned with a smile.

"You don't like him?"

"How can you tell?"

"I am psychic you know," he signed with a chuckle. Just then Logan burst through the laboratory door, Ororo close behind him.

"Where is she?" Logan growled. Scott turned to Charles, signing "Who?"

"Rogue. She's gone." The Professor led Logan to the one room in the mansion he hadn't yet seen - cerebro. According to Charles, the big round room enhanced his telepathic abilities, allowing him to locate mutants at great distances. And it was true – within minutes he'd located Rogue at a nearby train station.

While Scott and Ororo prepared to retrieve her, Logan snuck off on his own. Helping himself to a motorcycle from the garage, he sped towards the train station. He was the reason Rogue had left, and he would be the one to get her back.


	5. Chapter IV

It was late. The four X-men sat defeated and angry in Xavier's office. What should have been a simple retrieval had turned into a complete disaster. Logan had managed to track down Rogue on a train heading north, but before he could get her safely off the train, Magneto himself had appeared and taken her. With adamantium on his bones, Logan stood little chance against a man that could control metal.

Logan was fuming. The Professor had said Magneto wanted him, not Rogue.

"I made a terrible mistake," said Charles. Logan scoffed.

Scott and Ororo had faced troubles of their own at the train station. They had run into two of Magneto's accomplices. One of them – the aptly named "Toad" – had managed to swipe Scott's visor right off his face. Before Scott could react, he'd taken down most of the building's roof, causing mass destruction and chaos. He was trying not to think about how many people had been injured – or killed. He was angry at himself and, as a result, angry at everyone else.

Scott was trying to keep up with the conversation, but with everybody on edge and talking at once, he was having trouble; everyone had completely given up on signing and he couldn't read more than one person's lips at a time. That wasn't helping his mood. The Professor sat at his desk, with his head is his hands looking exhausted. Logan, Jean, and Ororo were at each other's throats. They had to find Rogue – that much was clear – but wait. Were they talking about finding Logan a uniform? No way was he coming anywhere with the X-men. He was reckless and . . . well he wasn't coming.

Scott tapped Jean on the shoulder, trying to figure out what was going on, but she was so involved in the conversation, she barely acknowledged him. Fed up, Scott stood, and without looking back, walked straight out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Scott!" Jean called after him, but he didn't hear her.

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Jean found Scott in their bedroom, digging furiously through a pile of dirty clothes in the corner of the room. She touched his shoulder. He turned to look at her, an impatient look on his face.

"I can't find my gym shirt," he signed.

"Scott, I'm sorry . . ." she tried, but he had already turned away.

"Forget it," he signed. Then, giving up on the shirt, he grabbed a pair of shorts and sneakers and stormed out of the room.

Once downstairs, he was thankful to find the gym deserted. He slipped on his shorts and shoes. Pulling off his button-down shirt, he made his way to an old punching bag hanging in the corner.

He started hitting it slowly, picking up speed as he went. Each punch was filled with emotion – anger, frustration, humiliation.

Anger at Logan for flirting with Jean. At Jean for letting Logan flirt with her. At Magneto and the Brotherhood. At everyone and everything.

Frustration with himself. For having to rely on others in order to follow a simple conversation. For his weakness at the train station; after Toad had removed his visor, he'd been forced to wait helplessly in a corner until Ororo had found him and led him safely back to the car.

Humiliation that he let Logan get under his skin. That he'd stormed out of the Professor's office like a child.

Scott continued to beat the bag until he was exhausted and his knuckles bled.

On the other side of the gym, Logan laid down at the bench press. Scott hadn't noticed him enter, and Logan had no intention of disturbing the other man. Logan had his own aggression to deal with, his own anger, frustration and humiliation:

Anger at the Professor for his mistake; how could he have not realized Magneto was after Rogue? Anger at the X-Men for their naïve, idealistic view of the world. Anger at Scott for managing to get a girl like Jean.

Frustration at having to wait around, helpless while Magneto had Rogue. At not being able to remember his past. At having to rely on the X-Men. At having to rely on anyone at all.

Humiliation that he was jealous of Scott. That he hadn't been strong enough to keep Rogue safe.

With every punch of the bag and push of the barbell, each man felt his feelings fade; they became less angry, less frustrated, less humiliated, but knew that they would not sleep a wink until Magneto was defeated and Rogue was back at the mansion, safe and sound.


	6. Chapter V

Scott wiped the sweat from his brow and left the gym. He'd barely taken five steps when he nearly collided with Jean. She was distraught and out of breath. There had been an accident, she said.

After the meeting earlier that evening, Charles had attempted to use cerebro to locate Rogue again, but something had gone wrong. He now lay comatose in the medical lab. Scott and Jean stayed by his side all night. It was strange to see the Professor – his father for all intents and purposes – so vulnerable. He had always been strong, unbreakable.

When Scott awoke the next morning, Jean was gone. He sat up with a wince, stiff from having spent the night in an old wooden chair by the side of the bed. He glanced at the Professor. Nothing had changed. Scott stood to leave, but before he did, he took the Professor's hand and signed into his palm, "Everything will be okay."

Scott left the medical wing, intending to find Jean. As he made his way towards the elevator, he stopped. Just down the hallway, the doors to cerebro were closing – and he could just make out Jean inside. He instantly panicked. Cerebro was dangerous even when it wasn't malfunctioning. Even for a telepath as talented as the Professor. What was Jean thinking? He ran as fast as he could to the doors, but he was too late. By the time he reached them, they had closed completely. In his desperation, he nearly pulled off his glasses and blasted through the door, but with Jean's mind linked to cerebro he couldn't risk it. He stood outside, banging on the door, feeling more helpless than ever.

In less than a minute – though it seemed forever – the doors opened. Jean was lying slumped on the floor. Fearing the worst, Scott ran to her, taking her head in his hands. At first she didn't respond, but just as he was about to lift her from the ground, he saw her lips move.

"I know where Magneto is," she said.

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Within half an hour, Scott, Ororo, Jean and Logan were gathered in a small room in the lower levels. In front of them was a miniature model of New York City. Now that they knew where Rogue was, they weren't going to waste any time. Scott signed, Ororo interpreting for him:

"Magneto is here. Liberty Island. Now, presumably his objective is to mutate the world leaders at the UN summit, here on Ellis Island." The map moved as he spoke.

"We can insert here at the George Washington Bridge, come around the bank, just off of Manhattan, and land on the far side of Liberty Island, here."

With everyone in agreement, they headed to the jet, quickly changing into their black leather uniforms. Logan hesitated when Scott handed him one of his spare uniforms to wear. He looked like he might argue, but instead took it grudgingly without a word. Scott switched his glasses for his visor. He also strapped a small device to his wrist. Similar to a watch, it allowed him to communicate with the other X-Men in the field. It was one of the Professor's old friends, Dr. Hank McCoy's, own inventions. When the others spoke into their communicators, their words appeared across a small screen on the device. A sliding keyboard allowed Scott to communicate with them, as well.

Soon the X-Men were strapped into the jet, ascending through a prudently placed basketball court, and heading south to Manhattan. In mere minutes, they were sliding under the Brooklyn Bridge, Liberty Island coming into view.

When they reached Liberty Island, it was eerily quiet. No security, no harbor patrol – a sure sign that Magneto had been there. The Statute of Liberty loomed before them. Within seconds, Scott pointed to the torch. It was difficult to see, but Scott was right – some sort of pod had been attached to the base of the torch. Bingo.

The four X-Men made their way inside. It wasn't long before they hit their first snag. A run in with Mystique – disguised as Logan – left them no choice but to watch the two "Logans" battle it out. Toad struck next, giving the X-Men a run for their money until a lightning bolt from Ororo sent him tumbling into the river below. With Toad out of the way, and the real Logan revealed, they started climbing.

Upon reaching the crown, they ran into another hurdle. "I can't move," said Logan. And sure enough, within seconds, Magneto appeared, sending metal flying and managing to restrain each X-Men against the monument's walls. The way they were positioned, Scott was face to face with Jean so that when Magneto removed his visor, he shut his eyes tighter than he ever had shut them before. Jean could feel the panic rolling off of him. She was scared herself, but did her best to send him calming vibes.

Sabretooth stood guard, as Magneto made his way to the torch, Rogue in his arms. Her calls for help made Logan frantic and in an act of desperation he released his claws, breaking through the metal restraints, but piercing his own chest in the process. As he fell to the ground, Jean and Ororo watched, fearful. Sabretooth surveyed the body, convinced perhaps that he was dead. But seconds later, Logan sprang to life, sending a claw through Sabretooth's own chest. The fight moved outside. Jean and Ororo could hear footsteps above them, clangs of claws on the walls, and worst of all, Rogue's screams from the torch above.

When Sabretooth reappeared without Logan, they feared the worst. But within minutes, Logan appeared, clasping Scott's visor in his hand. "You dropped something," he said. He held it up and Jean instantly understood.

She mustered all her strength, all her focus and sent to Scott as clearly as she could, "Scott, when I tell you open your eyes."

He seemed to understand. She saw the surprise on his face, then sensed his resistance.

"Trust me!" she tried again. And with that she grabbed the visor with her telekinesis, brought it towards Scott face, and sent as loudly as she could, "Now!" Scott obeyed, opening his eyes just as the visor met skin. A blinding red blast sent Sabretooth crashing into a boat below.

Free from their restraints, the X-Men set out to finish the job. They could see Rogue above, Magneto standing guard. The walls of the pod had blasted away, revealing a fast-spinning metal turbine of sorts. It emitted a whitish glow which was spreading farther and farther from the orbiting machine.

"We've got to get her out of there," said Logan. Grabbing Scott's shoulder, he asked "Cyclops can you hit it?"

"The rings are moving too fast," Scott signed. Logan wasn't sure exactly what he'd said, but he was growing impatient.

"Just shoot it!"

"He'll kill her," said Jean. "Storm can you get him up there?"

"I can't control it like that." She turned to Scott, "You could fly right over the top."

"Then let me go," said Logan. "If I don't make it, then at least you can still blast the damn thing."

And so they did. Logan managed to reach the torch, but with Magneto there, he couldn't move a muscle. An expertly placed shot from Scott, however, sent Magneto tumbling, and let Logan dismember the machine. By that point, Rogue was drained and lifeless. Logan barely thought twice before placing his hand gently against her face, hoping that the power that had saved her once before could do so again. When nothing happened, he hugged her tight, his face against hers.

Just as he was giving up hope, he felt a familiar pull that quickly turned to pain – he felt his power, his life force being ripped from him. Blood dripped from wounds that were healed a moment ago. Eventually his legs gave out and he toppled to the ground.

But he had succeeded. Rogue stood beside him surprised and disoriented, but alive.


	7. Chapter VI

Scott woke the next morning to Jean running a soft hand through his hair. It was late, the sun streaming through the window.

"I love you," she said. He smiled, reaching for her face and bringing it close to his for a kiss.

"The Professor's awake," she said. "I thought you might want to see him."

"Thanks," he signed. He got out of bed, threw on wrinkled clothes from the floor, and headed for the medical wing. Charles was still in bed, but sitting up and reading a book. When Scott entered, he lifted his eyes from his book, set it down on the table beside him, and smiled brightly.

"Good morning, Professor."

"Will you ever call me Charles?" he signed with a smile.

"Probably not," said Scott, smiling just as brightly. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better. Come and sit," he said, indicating a nearby chair. "I heard that Rogue is home, safe and sound. And that Magneto is in custody. I'm proud of you, Scott." Scott was ashamed by the praise. He didn't deserve it.

"You shouldn't be," he said.

"And why not," asked Charles, surprised.

"I screwed up at the train station. I destroyed it. We don't even know how many people were injured because of me. I've let Logan get under my skin all week. I stormed out of that meeting like a child . . ."

"In other words," Charles interrupted, "You are human." At that moment, there was a knock on the door. It was Logan. He was planning to hit the road soon, and wanted to speak to the Professor before he went.

"Logan, come in," said the Professor. Scott looked up to see Logan at the door.

"I can come back . . . " Logan started.

"No please, come in. I hope Rogue is doing well."

"She is," he said standing awkwardly at the foot of the bed.

"I should go check on the kids," said Scott, standing to leave. He walked out, leaving Logan and Charles to talk.

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Later that afternoon, Logan was packed and ready to go. He planned to head north, following a lead from the Professor. He had said goodbye to Rogue. There was nothing left to do but leave. He found Scott's motorcycle in the garage. He figured Scott wouldn't miss it too badly for a month or so. He was running his hands over the smooth leather seat when he heard footsteps behind him. He looked up to see Scott, arms crossed.

"Listen Scott, I was just going to borrow it. I'll bring it back I promise," he said, turning back to the bike.

"Logan." Logan turned back, surprised at Scott's voice. Scott spoke carefully, enunciating each word:

"Thank you. For your help. For everything."

Logan gave him a half smile. He grabbed his old worn backpack, throwing it over his shoulder. Before straddling the bike, he turned back to Scott. Bringing his hand, palm up towards his chest, he signed, "You're welcome." Even with Scott's eyes covered, he could see the surprise on his face.

Logan hopped on the bike, revved the engine and, without looking back, took off.

Scott watched him go until he disappeared over the horizon.


End file.
